Even before the season, it was easy to see the last two weeks would be a critical time for the 22nd-ranked Hillsdale College volleyball team.
Four G-MAC North Division matches, all on the road, consecutively, with big stakes for the Chargers, who couldn't afford to lose a single one to keep pace with the teams atop the division.
For a young team with new faces in several spots, it loomed as a big test of where Hillsdale is at a third of the way through the season -- and, after a sweep of Walsh, 25-17, 25-19, 25-22, on Saturday to complete a 4-0 record in those matches, it's clear that the Chargers have passed with flying colors.
Hillsdale made quick work of a Walsh team with some impressive early wins on the season, hitting .300 at the net with 42 kills in an impressive offensive performance.
The Charger offense was efficient, balanced and incredibly effective throughout the contest. Senior Megan Kolp led Hillsdale with 10 kills and a .400 hitting percentage, and was one of five different Chargers with six or more kills in the victory. Sophomore Marilyn Popplewell continued a recent streak of strong play with nine kills and a .500 hitting percentage, Karoline Shelton added seven kills, three service aces and seven digs, and Linnea Larson and Maizie Brown each hit over .400 and chipped in six kills as well.
While Walsh, a strong offensive team, nearly matched the Chargers in total kills with 40, the Cavaliers couldn't match Hillsdale in efficiency, committing 19 attack errors to Hillsdale's nine and hitting just .164 for the match. That, combined with eight Charger aces, proved to be the difference in the contest.
Setter Lauren Passaglia had another solid night for Hillsdale, finishing with 31 assists as well as four kills and three service aces of her own. Alli Wiese led Hillsdale defensively with 15 digs, and Amy Buffini chipped in eight.
The Chargers are now 11-2 overall, 4-0 in G-MAC play, and tied atop the North Division with fellow unbeatens Northwood and Findlay. After the long road trip to open the conference schedule, Hillsdale now looks forward to a three-match homestand in the friendly confines of Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena, starting with a match against Kentucky Wesleyan on Friday at 7 p.m.
Photo by McKenna Eichholz